September 1st

Unloaded another couple of metric tons of quartered grey mackerel today and again we are already heading back out to get some more. No rest for the wicked. Or fishermen.

I got to drive the boat for a while again today. It's not like the first Mickey Mouse cartoon. With these modern day technology you just sit your ass down, watch the radar for possible other boats, with setting to 3 nautical miles you would see them early enough. Take a look at the sounder screen for the fun of it. 10 meters. Deep enough. And make sure the boat stays on course on the plotter map on a computer screen. Adjust degree or two on the autopilot when needed.

5 more weeks on the boat I have left. With coming and going (mostly coming) pains on my right arm and nice allergic reaction from the fish slime/scales on the left making sure I don't get to operate on full health, I should keep myself on the edge for the time being.

This time off the backpacking scene has been nice, but I start to miss some human contact. Only time I see other people are when we are on port offloading and that is only other fishermen. They are not the most sociable group I must say. Or maybe it's just me. Or the fact that I'm a mere deckhand and not even Australian.

I've been thinking about Finland lately. I miss my mom, would love to sit down for a dinner with my dad. Go see my grandma, cousins, aunts and uncles.

And I miss few friends back there. Sisters Salminen and their counterparts and a bunch of Mikkeli originals to name a few.

I wonder if my bottlemail ever reached Pulteri or Kahvilla...

But I just love travelling life. So for the time being I can only hope any of the beforementioned will surprise me by letting me know that they are coming to a holiday somewhere near me. To spend a night or two with them would make my day. Would make much more than that actually...